Robert Bolick deflects credit after impressive PBA debut

Right in his first game as a pro, the third overall pick in the recent draft made waves after leading the Batang Pier to a one-sided 111-91 win over Blackwater in the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday.

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Playing wise beyond his years, Bolick fired a team-high 26 points to go with three rebounds and three assists. He conspired with another young gun in Paolo Taha in leading the charge in the opening win.

The former NCAA champion was a perfect 7-of-7 from the perimeter and shot 3-of-5 from beyond the arc in almost 36 minutes of action. But humble as ever, Bolick deflected credit to his teammates.

"I'm just lucky with my team," he said in Filipino. "I have learned a lot already from Stanley (Pringle). I'm really lucky to be on this team."

Pringle, who took the backseat while Bolick did most of the damage with an array of shots, finished with 16 points.

Thanks in large part to his teammates, Bolick said it didn't take long for him to adjust to professional basketball.

"I don't wanna lose. I can also see the winning attitude in their eyes. Coach Pido (Jarencio) doesn't really wanna lose. I'm tailor-made for this team," said Bolick, who won multiple titles with San Beda.

Despite the smashing debut, however, Bolick is aware there's still room for improvement.

"I'm not satisfied, it's just the first game. There are a lot of good teams we have to face. I need to exert more effort in practice every day," he said.